These Wildly Popular California Beaches Have New, Unsettling Warnings Issued By Officials

As of June 24, 2025, beaches in Los Angeles County have received warnings from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which listed alerts for the entire swim areas of Mother's Beach in Marina Del Rey and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, as well as parts of Santa Monica Pier, Topanga County Beach, Paradise Cove, Venice Beach, and Will Rogers State Beach. Most of the partial warnings are for those around storm drains and piers, and officials suggest avoiding swimming, surfing, and playing in the water during this time due to heightened bacteria levels in the water. Though a deadline was not applied to these public announcements, generally, high bacteria warnings last about three days after they were given, though you should wait a little longer to get into the water if you want to make sure you're staying as safe as possible, as some studies suggest it can take up to 10 days in areas where the water doesn't flow very well. 

These warnings come following health standards testing. The waters in and around the areas above were found to have high bacteria levels considered unsafe for all individuals, but especially the young and elderly. This isn't entirely out of the ordinary. It's common for heavy rain to increase bacterial levels in the area, specifically E. coli and enterococcus. It is often high in nitrogen and phosphorus, which bacteria thrives on. So when these particles enter the water, bacterial growth increases for several days before heading back to normal levels. Additionally, the water also picks up bacteria and other pollutants that enter the storm drains. However, some of them, like Mother's Beach, may be best avoided even outside of this warning, as several locations in California are considered some of the filthiest beaches in America.

It's also a good idea to plan to avoid certain beaches like the ones above after it rains for a few days, even if there are no warnings. For Los Angeles County, tests are conducted only on Mondays, so if it rains later in the week, there could be high levels of bacteria without swimmers knowing. Additionally, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health suggests always being cautious around water flowing into the ocean near creeks and storm drains as much as possible to avoid health issues.

Thankfully, this warning doesn't include all beaches, so you don't necessarily need to give up your beach adventure over the summer. You may just have to change it up a little. For example, Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo, Torrance, Zuma, and Point Dume are just a few examples of other beaches in Los Angeles County that do not currently have any warnings as of the writing of this article (though these statuses can change since testing happens weekly). Spending time at the beach is one of the budget-friendly tips for a trip to Los Angeles, so when there are warnings, it can be a little stressful as you scramble to find other things to do. Thankfully, with so many beaches in the area, you still have opportunities to check some out. Of course, even if the water isn't pristine, you can always relax on the sandy beach, enjoying the breeze and having a picnic. If your plans do get derailed due to rain and runoff, don't despair just yet: There are plenty of exciting free things to do in Los Angeles you can try out as well.